Plug receptacle



Dec. 14, 1948. H. HUBBELL 2,455,930

PLUG RECEPTACLE Filed April 10. 1943 Patented Dec. 14, 1948 UNITED STATES PATENT oFFic PLUG RECEPTACLE Harvey Hubbell, Long Hill, Conn. Application April 10, 1943, Serial No. 482,537

1 Claim. 1

struction and means of mounting the receptacle contacts and mounting lugs for the receptacle which will greatly facilitate assembly of the parts but will nevertheless eflectively retain them in proper position. i

With the foregoing and other objects in view I have devised the construction illustrated in the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification. It is, however, to be understood the invention is not limited to the specific details and arrangement shown but may comprise various changes and modifications within the scope of the invention.

In this drawing:

Fig. 1 is a partial side elevation and partial section of the receptacle, the section being taken substantially on the line i--l of Fig. 3, but showing the receptacle contact in elevation;

Fig. 2 is a section substantially on line 2-2 of Figs. 3 and 4, but showing the mounting lug in elevation;

Fig. 3 is a rear view of the device looking toward the bottom of Figs. 1 and 2;

Fig. 4 is a partial side elevation and partial section looking from the right of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a partial side elevation and partial section looking from the right of Fig. 1 but showing the parts inverted;

Figs. 6, 7 and 8 are elevational views of the receptacle contact;

Fig. 9 is a detailed section showing how an insulating member for covering the back of the receptacle contact may be used if desired, and

Fig. 10 is a plan view of the insulating member of Fig. 9 before being applied to the receptacle.

This receptacle comprises an insulating body member i i of suitable molded insulating material, the particular body shown being of a circular shape and provided with a plurality ofcompartments i2 and I3 opening through the rear wall of the body and extending forwardly or inwardly from this rear wall or surface; The body memher is also provided with contact blade entrance slots H in its front wall leading to the compartments l2, these slots being shaped for the entrance of the contact blades of attachment plug caps and are usually of rectangular shape-to gen- 25 are forward, but after being inserted the sharp edges at the outer ends of the abrupt surfaces erally correspond with the rectangular blades most commonly used.

The compartments l2 are shaped to each receive a receptacle contact I 5 having spring fingers l6 and i! arranged at the inner side of the slot ll to engage the contact blade inserted through this slot, these fingers being arranged side by side so as to receive the contact blade between them.

They are normally spaced 2. distance less thanthe thickness of the blade and are made of resilient metal so as to yield laterally when the blade is inserted between them and to give good electrical contact. They may be inclined laterally at their upper ends as shown at Hi to facilitate entrance of the contact blade between them. These flngers I6 and II are connected respectively to the lower and upper edges of a body portion l9. It is preferred that the contact be made of a single piece of metal of suitable thickness. The blade portions l6 and I1, as shown clearly in Figs. 1 and '7, extend rearwardly or downwardly for a certain distance and then laterally at 20 and ii respectively toward the body portion i9, which is spaced from the contact portion of the finger l5.

An improved means of mounting the contact in the compartment is provided. For this purpose each of the opposite side walls of the compartment is provided with a groove 22 extending inwardly or forwardly from the rear surface or wall 23 of the body II and theside edges of the body portion IQ of the contact are seated in these grooves. At least one of these edges and preferably both of them are provided with means for holding or retaining the receptacle in the compartment. This means is so shaped as to permit ready insertion of the contact in the coinpartment by sliding it inwardly or forwardly from the rear wall of the insulating body Ii or the open rear entrance to the compartment, and than to grip the material of the body to prevent move ment in the opposite direction'and thus to retain the contact in the compartment and prevent its being pushed downwardly or rearwardiy bythe attachment plug contact blades inserted through the slots M in the front wall of the body. A satis factory means of doing this is to provide one or both edges of the body portion it with a series of teeth 24, the teeth being formed. with inclined upper or inner surfaces 25 and an abrupt lower surface 26 meeting in a relatively sharp edge. This permits the contact to slide readily inwardly in thegrooves 22 because the inclined surfaces 28 grip or slightly out into the material of the cileotively prevent a.

. compartment. The action the greater the force s contact rearwardly or out of com more efiectlve is the gripping effect also provided with grooves similar to the grooves 22 and indicated at leading inwa dly or forwardly from the rear face 253 of the insulatin body 8 l. The lugs include a mounting or body portion and a lug or ear portion 322 connected with the body 235 by a connecting neck 33, the car 82 and the body 3i being at an angle to each other as, shown, so that the car 32 extends laterally from the side of the insulating body 11 i for mounting the receptacle on the mounting ears in a floor or wall outlet box (not shown) and to which it may be secured by the usual screws in the opening 34 in the car. This lug 29 is mounted in the same way as the contact l 5. That is, the opposite edges of the body portion iii are seated in the grooves 3d and either one, but preferably both, edges are provided with means shaped to permit ready sliding of the member into the compartment from the rear surface oi the body H and then to grip the material of this body to retain the member in position. As indicated in connection with the contact it, it is preferred that the edges of the body member 38 be provided with teeth which are the same as the teeth 2% of the contact to, and have inclined upper surfaces 38 and abrupt lower surfaces ill meeting in a relatively sharp edge which may grip the material at the bottom of the groove 30. Because of the inclined forward surfaces 36 the element may be readily slid into position from the rear surface of the body ii, and then when in this position, because of the abrupt surface 31 and relatively sharp edge, the teeth will firmly grip the material of the body if] and efiectively hold or retain the mounting member in position. The compartments i3 open through the side wall of the insulating body it for passage of the neclr or connecting portion 33 of the mounting member.

It will be seen from Figs. 1 and 3 that the rear surface of connecting bar portion 20 oi. the contact is uncovered or exposed. It it is desired that this be covered with insulating material this may be readily accomplished as shown in Figs. 9 and 10. In this arrangement an in sulating member 38 of flexible paper or suitable fiber is provided of sufllcient width to cover the rear surface of the bar portion 2% of the contact and then the end flaps or ears 39 are bent upwardly or inwardly over the edges of the bar or connecting portion 2%, as shown in Fig. Q, the intermediate or body portion or this insulator thus covering the outer or rear surface oi the portion 26 and insulating it from direct contact. To more readily retain the insulator 38 in place the opposite s. compartment shown in g. the portions of insulator bent around edges of the connecting portion and the inner wall of this recess by engaging the ears or flaps 39, as shown in Fig. o, will eiiectivcly retain the insulating member in position.

It will be understood irozn the above that this makes a very simple and eilective construction involving a minimum of parts which may be readily and-quickly assembled by merely slldlng the contacts and the mounting lugs into their respective compartments from the rear or lower surface or the insulating body member, and when so inserted are effectively and permanently retained in position without further securing operations; also that as the compartments II tor the receptacle contacts open through the lower or rear wall oi the body member i 5, foreign matter such for example as dirt or water entering through the contact blade entrance slots it will readily pass through and drop from the receptacle, practically eliminating the possibility of short circuits from such matter.

Having thus set forth the nature of my in vention, what I claim is:

An electrical receptacle comprising an insulating body member having compartments therein opening through the rear face of the body and a contact blade slot in its frontwall leading to each compartment, grooves in the opposite side walls of each compartment leading forwardly from the rear face of the body, a contact in each compartment comprising a contact finger located to the rear of the slot to engage a contact blade inserted therein, said contact also including a body portion to which the finger is connected, said finger including a connecting bar extending laterally from the rear edge of said body portion at the entrance to the compartment, an insulating strip including an intermediate portion on the outer surface of said bar and end flaps folded over the opposite edges of said bar to the inner side thereof, shoulders on the insulating body against which said flaps engage, and the opposite side edges of the body portion of the contact being seated in said grooves and at least one of said edges being provided with holding means shaped to permit ready sliding of the contact into the compartment and then to grip the material of the insulating body to retain the contact therein and said flaps against said shoulders.

HARVEY HUBBELL.

REFERENCES i'JITED The following references are of record in the his of this patent:

UNITED STATE$ PATENTS Number Name Date 952,961 Thomas Mar. 22, 1910 1,742,907 Gaynor Jan. 7, 1930 112836292 DeReamer Dec. 23, 1930 ZfiilZAld Despard May 21, 1935 2,ill5,e2l Eclcstein et all Sept. 24, 1935 2,b3l,453 Benander Feb. 18, 1936 M13651!) Fahrey Apr. ll, 1936 2,115,642 Martin Apr. 26, 1938 2,2illjld3 Petersen May 21, i940v 2292108 1- Aug. l, i942 2,315,523 Htlbbfill -l. Apr. d, 

